Safety guard



E. J. BOLAND.

SAFETY GUARD.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 4,1921.

Patented Mar. 7, 1922.

, 2 SHEETS-SHEET I- 3% /zpmm/hzn E. J. BOLAND.

. SAFETY GUARD.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 4. 1921. 1,409,075. P n Mar- 7, 1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2Q UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD J. ROLAND, OF FREEPORT, ILLINOIS.

SAFETY GUARD.

Patented Hal. 7, 1922.

Application filed October 4, 1921. Serial No. 505,331.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD J. BOLAND, a citizen oft-he United States, residing at Freeport, in the county of Stephenson and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Safety Guards; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and concise description of the same, such as will enable others skilled in'the art to which it ,appertains to make and use the same.

This invention is an improvement in safety appliances for railway switches, having for an object to provide a simple and durable device which when used in conjunction with a railway switch or the several rail connections of the same will positively prevent displacement of the locking or securing bolts either through accident or tampering therewith.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a device of the character mentioned which can be quickly applied to all prevalent types of switches with but little if any alteration thereto and with but very little effort.

Other objects will be in part obvious and in part pointed out hereinafter.

In order that the invention and its mode of operation may be readily understood by persons skilled in the artfI have in the accompanying illustrative drawings and in the detailed following description based there on set forth several embodiments of the same. 7

In these drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of one form of my improved safety device;

Figure 2 is a top plan view of a fragment of railway track and switch therefor show-' ing the application of several forms of the improved safety devices thereto;

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 33 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a disassembled perspective view of a slightly modified form of the device; v

Figure 5 is a similar view of another form of the same; and

Figure 6 is a corresponding view of yet another form of the safety device.

Having more particular reference to the drawings, in connection with which like characters of reference will designate cor responding parts throughout, my improved safety device comprises a guard plate 1 hav- 2 and 3 being formed with upwardly extending end portions 6 which are inter-connected by means of a transverse bar 7 formed integral with the same and preferably braced by an arch shaped rib 8 arranged longitudinally of the upper face thereof. Latcrally extending spike receiving and locking arms 9 are formed upon. the outer side of the intermediate portions of each of the upwardly extending ends 6 and as will be noted, are in planes corresponding to the arrangement of the arms 5 on the opposite ends of said side members.

The'form of safety device above described is preferably used in connection with the shaft 10 of a switch stand indicated at 11, said device being arranged in the space between the extended ends of the bolsters or head blocks 12 as clearly shown in Figure 2, the spike receiving and securing arms 5 and 9 engaging over the upper surfaces of the adjacent portions of said blocks 12 and having spikes or similar fastening devices 13 driven therethrough into said blocks. Thus, it will be understood that the guard plate 1. will be rigidly secured in position and that it. will be arranged at a distance slightly below the upper surfaces of the spaced head block 12. By reason of the arrangement of the guard plate 1 with relation to the switch stand 11,. it will be noted that the same will lie directly beneath the lower end or goose neck connection 14 of the shaft 10 and thus willl afford effectual guard for said stand whereby in the event that the rigid connection which supports the shaft 10 in the switch stand 11 is ruptured, said shaft will be permitted to drop directly onto the guard plate 1 and supported thereon during fur ther usage of the switch stand, until its condition is discovered and repaired.

In the Figure 4, I have shown a sli htly modified form of my improved guard evice for use in conjunction with switch stands, olfsetting certain of the ends of the side members 2 and 3 as at 16 whereby they may each receive correspondingly formed brackets 17 carried on the dependent sides of an end seat 18 corresponding to the bar 7 of the de' vice shown in the Figure 1. Laterally disposed spike receiving and locking arms l9 are formed upon the dependent portions of the end seat 18 by bending portions thereof outwardly and upon themselves. As will be understood, the arms 19 correspond in ar-.v

rangement to the arms 4 and 5 arranged on the opposite ends of the side members 2 and 3 and by consequence, this particular form of safety device may be secured in position between the head block 12 such as shown in the Figure 2 in a manner corresponding to the arrangement of the device illustrated in Figure 1. Herein, the guard plate 1 will serve for a purpose corresponding to that of the guard plate 1 shown in connection with the Figure 1.

By provision of the modified form of safety device as shown in the Figure 4, I am enabled to more easily apply the same to certain types of switch stands, since the end seat 18 may be removed and by consequence, the positioning of the safety device with relation to the headblock materially facilitated, whereupon said end seat may be re engaged with the oif set end 16 and secured against longitudinal displacement in any suitable manner. Another modified form of the safety device is shown in the Figure 5 and in this particular embodiment, the opposite ends of the guard plate 1' are vertically extended as at 20 and formed with arcuousor semi-circular plates 21 and 22, the outer marginal portions of which have spike receiving openings 23 formed therein for an obvious purpose. Side members 24 and 25 are extended from either end of the segmental plates 21 and 22 and have a transverse end seat 26 formed upon their outer ends, said ends being braced by means of an arcuous longitudinal rib .27 while the opposite'ends of the seat 26 are disposed vertically as at 28 in order that the connecting rod of the switch may be extended under'the same into engagement with the switch points. It will be noted in this connection, that the side members 24 and 25 are formed with spike receiving openings,

whereby saidside members may be secured to the upper side marginal portions of the particular head block or bolsters between which the guide plate 1 is arranged; said guide'plate 1, thus being disposed slightly below the upper surfaces of thehead block in order that the same will lie directly under the goose neck connection of the switch stand shaft. It will be noted that the segmental plates 21 and 22 difi'er in size and by reason of this arrangement, I am'emabled t0 successfully adapt the improved safety appliance to those types of switch stands having circular bases of such construction as to prevent the side members 2 and 3 such as shown in connection with the Figures 1 and 4 be ing eritelided thereunder; the circular base of the particular switch stand, depending upon its size, beingfitted to either the seg mental plate 21 or the segmental plate 22. Each'of the segmental plates 21. and 22 is secured to the particular head block o r bolster, receiving the same by clamping spikes or similar fastening devices therethrough into engagement with the adjacent portions of the said blocks or bolsters.

In Figure 6 I have shown a still further modified form of the safety appliance, this particular embodiment being especially adaptable for use in conjunction with connections between connecting barsof a switch, such as are shown in Figure 2 and indicated by the numerals 29, 30 and 31. It oftentimes occurs, that the bolts 32 which connect these bars with the connectingfingers on-t-he switch point ends thereof or the switch stand connecting bar 30 with said switch points become loose and in, consequence, are permitted to drop therefrom, thus rendering the switch useless and also lending materially to the liability of the wrecking of rolling stock passing thereover.

The safety device in this last embodiment comprises a guard plate 1, sub-, stantially rectangular in formation and having upstanding arms 33 formed on its opposite ends adjacent its four corners, which arms in turn are formed with rightangularly disposed fingers 34 notched as at whereby to receive spikes or other suitable V fastening devices. In using the device, the guard plate 1*" is arranged between a pair of bolsters or sleepers as indicated in the Figure 2, being disposed at a distance slightly below the upper surfaces thereof in order that the right angular fingers 34 will rest upon adjacent portions; of said upper surfaces of the sleepers. At, this time, spikes 36 are driven into those portions of the sleepers adjacent the notches 35 in order that displacement of the guard plate 1 with relation to the sleepers supporting the same will be prevented. As will be noted, the guard plate '1 is arranged directly below theQbolts employed in connecting the switch bars 29 and 31 with the switch. points and the" switch stand connecting liar 30 with the "switch points Therefore, should any of these bolts become loosened, they will be prevented from dropping from the inter-connected p arts byreason of the arrangement of the guard plates 1 directly thereunder; said guard plate serving as support for the bolts'which may be loosened and by consequence, preventing the breaking of connection between the inter-connected parts with the resultant continuation of effectual operation ofthe same until the condition is discovered and properly repaired. From the foregoing, it will be understood that I have provided an exceedingly simple 130 but durable form of safety device which may be used to advantage in Connection with railway switches, whereby to prevent'accidental displacement of bolts employed for connecting various parts of the switches and for preventing displacement of the spans of switch stands in order that such stands may be effectually used until their impaired condition is discovered and remedied. Furthermore, the malicious tampering with switch stands or bolts employed for connecting various parts of switches will be prevented, since by arranging the threaded ends of the bolts lowermost and adjacent the guard plates, the engagement of the nuts thereon with wrenches or similar tools will be rendered impossible.

Manifestly, the constructions shown are capable of still further modifications and such modifications as are within the spirit of my invention, I consider within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A device of the character described comprising a guard plate, side members arranged on the opposite ends of said guard plate, having certain of their ends extended vertically and formed with attaching means, the remaining ends of said members being ofi'set, an end seat movably engageable over said off set end, and means on said end for facilitating securing of the same to supporting objects.

2. In combination with a switch stand and spaced supporting block therefor, of a guard plate adapted to be arranged directly below the switch stand and adjacent the lower end of the shaft of said switch stand, side members formed with the opposite sides of said guard plate, horizontally extending securing arms arranged with said side members and extending from the upper ends thereof, said securing arms having apertures therein for the reception of fastening members whereby the arms may be connected to said supporting block.

3. A device of the character described comprising a guard plate, a pair of parallel side members arranged on the opposite sides of said guard plates, the opposite ends of said side members projecting beyond said guard plate, vertical extensions arranged with the opposite ends of said side members, a transverse bar formed with the vertical extensions arranged at one end of said side members and fastening arms extending laterally from each of said vertical extending members substantially as and for the purpose specified.

device of the character described comprising a guard plate having a substantial rectangular configuration, a pair of parallel side members formed with the oppositeside of said guard plate', having certain of their ends extending vertically and formed with attaching means, the remaining ends of said side members being provided with parallel extensions, an end piece, said end piece comprising a pair of sleeves to receive the parallel extensions of said side members and laterally extending fastening arms formed with said end piece, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

EDWARD J. BOLAND. 

